Savory picks for the free range reader

Downtown Nashville: What We Found in the Time of Corona

My cousin Christina and I enjoyed a socially distant walk a few days ago. It was the first time I’d walked with a girlfriend in weeks. She lives in the Gulch, so we met there and walked through her urban neighborhood then downtown. We might have jaywalked some – extreme jaywalking – which felt strangely exhilirating. I’d like to share some photos, and what we found…

Let’s begin at the beginning, in the Gulch. It was so easy to find a parking place.

Construction vehicles abounded. Also construction workers, and construction noise. I was stunned by the noise. I’ve become so accustomed to the sounds of birdsong and the occasional leaf blower in my neighborhood. The sound of the occasional verbal dispute in my house. But the predominant sound is birdsong + leaf blowers. Construction noise was somehow both jarring and reassuring.

We enjoyed small stretches of weird silence…

but then – more noise. Did I mention the beeps, growls, rumbles, & roars?

We enjoyed some architectural details on buildings I’d never paid much attention to, such as the First Lutheran Church and the Customs House…

Lower Broad was both loud and quiet.

We crossed the river on the pedestrian bridge, where we saw a couple of men on bicycles, a runner, and a mom with her two little kids. I think we saw at least one person walking a dog, I’m trying to remember.

We crossed back over the river and walked by our beautiful Schermerhorn Symphony Center (thank you, Martha Ingram, for your leadership, and for the giving you inspired and continue to inspire).

We passed the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Convention Center, the Frist Art Museum…

we thought about how old Nashville and new converge at the Union Station Hotel.

We heard more noise.

Finally, almost back to the Gulch, we saw this tucked underneath an aluminum fence protecting a construction site:

Follow the Bacon!

6 Comments

What a great idea…8 just said to my husband after viewing this we should do this take a walk downtown and just have a different view of our Forest Hills neighborhood which we walk. Thank you Jennifer I am so enjoying your Bacon.